Moonbeams' Part 3
by Partners-in-Crime Int
Summary: What happened to David Addison? The question on everybody's lips!


**Los Angeles Times: ****9****th**** September 1986**

**What Happened to David Addison?**

Private Investigator, David Addison Junior (31) (Blue Moon Investigations) was reported missing on Wednesday 7th Sep when he failed to show up at an Italian Restaurant in Los Angeles. His partner, Madolyn Hayes (35) reported him missing when it became evident that he had not only failed to show up for their date, he also did not make it in to his place of work the following morning. Despite Mr Addison's reputation for wild partying, he usually made it in to the work place by 10.30am so alarm bells began to ring around the offices at Blue Moon.

'It's just not like him at all; he usually makes it in, even when he's lost an entire weekend' (Agnes DiPesto).

Receptionist Agnes DiPesto reported that a phone call eventually came through at 12.15, it was the man himself, calling from the holding cells in Downtown Los Angeles. Sounding desperate, Addison explained, hastily, that this was the one call that he was allowed and that his partner: Madolyn Hayes must come down to the police station and bail him out. Full explanations would be given later.

After an incredible night, which had left poor Addison bruised, battered and shaken; he had ended up waking in a police holding cell with no memory past the time of 6.30pm. He firmly believes that he was knocked out, or drugged, as the time period between 6.30pm and 6.30am left him utterly blank.

When asked about what he could remember before he lost consciousness, Addison replied 'I went to investigate a lead that we had; I was going to meet with this guy and ask him a few questions to help us get to the truth of the matter. I found him drinking in a bar just outside the prison and engaged him in conversation, fully aware that I did not have much time as I needed to meet Maddie for our date. I began to dig around in the conversation, getting closer and closer to the truth – I was about to strike gold and bam... my lights must have gone out. I woke up the following morning in a police holding cell with no clue as to how I got there.'

What is fascinating about this occurrence is the fact that the police were also most astonished to find David Addison in their lock-up. Nobody could remember admitting him and his unexplained appearance remains a mystery. Both parties do agree that it is highly probable that Mr Addison got too close to the truth and they will be investigating it further alongside the Blue Moon Detective Agency.

Ms Madolyn Hayes dutifully arrived with bail money for her business partner only to find that it was not necessary. Once the misunderstanding was cleared, the police did not require this usual protocol. Journalists waiting outside the police station reported that when David Addison and Madolyn Hayes left the station it appeared that he had been forgiven for missing his date with the former model. When questioned, the ex-Blue Moon Shampoo model stated 'Now I know the truth, all is forgiven. I'm just glad he's okay...' The two of them were then said to have walked off towards their car: a silver BMW, David Addison with an arm around her shoulder, clearly grateful for her prompt arrival at the station and her forgiveness.

Reported by Nancy Morris: (Los Angeles Times).

* * *

Maddie snapped the newspaper shut, threw it down on the desk and sighed. Only David Addison could find a way to make last night's fiasco, tomorrow's headlines. Now the whole world knew about this date, or thought they were together, or _something_... not even she knew what _they _were but she did know, for sure, that the outer office would be buzzing with the juicy printed gossip.

She had been furious over the whole debacle until she had arrived to collect him from the down town holding cell, along with a rather reluctant bundle of the petty cash. The police officer working the desk had ducked when he saw her approach, over-size handbag clutched tightly under her arm, beige pumps leaving their mark on the linoleum. Although, he had never seen such a drastic change in mood when he told her that there had been a big mistake and that there would be no need for bail. David Addison was innocent – that last piece of information could be disputed of course.

Sheepish, he had appeared from the direction of the cells, following the officer who had found him that morning. He caught sight of Maddie and his bedraggled self stopped in his tracks, took her in and allowed himself to smile - one that suggested that he hoped that she'd forgive him and that, for once, it was not his fault. He looked as if she were the best thing had happened to him since chocolate milk.

She met his eyes with a fiery look at first, but the fire soon abated as she caught sight of that forlorn look. She smiled back and shook her head as if to say: _only you Addison, only you..._ Then she strode towards him and gave him a sweet hug which took him by surprise. 'So you were the only available guy to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time yesterday afternoon?'

'Looks that way Blondie,' he chuckled, 'boy, are you a sight for sore eyes.'

'Well,' Maddie sighed, pulling back to look at him, 'I'm afraid, I can't say the same thing about you.' She laughed to show that the comment was a good natured one. 'You smell awful.'

'Careful, you know where that statement can lead,' he suggested with a wink.

She hugged him again. 'Thank god you're all right,' she evaded his remark. 'I was so angry, so worried...' She stopped herself, not willing to reveal how disappointed she had really been when he had not showed up for the date.

'Hey.' He grabbed her by the shoulders. 'Thanks. I thought you'd never speak to me again when I didn't show.'

'I hadn't planned on it.'

'Maddie, you would not believe how I felt when I came to in that cell this morning... I didn't even think about how I'd got there; I just thought, well that's it, I've scotched that one chance I had with Maddie Hayes...'

Maddie shook her head again, fighting the urge to kiss him in the police station. She didn't easily switch emotions on and off, she'd need to absorb this change in tempo. So, instead she put her arm through his and suggested they go straight to the office so he could shower and change in the en-suite bathroom. They could talk soon enough.

* * *

_'Would you like to swing on a star_

_Carry moonbeams home in a jar_

_And be better off than you are_

_Or would you rather be a mule?'_

Maddie cleared her throat in the doorway, and David's head snapped around as if on cue; he fell silent, his mouth open in mid-song. She smiled, almost a little shyly, signalling to him that she was entering in peace, no intent to kill.

'Just plain stupid?' she offered.

He dabbed the last droplets of water off of his face with one of his small fluffy red towels and flung it nonchalantly on to the washstand without even looking. He already felt a little more secure than he had an hour before when he was outside the holding cell.

'Not to mention the stubborn streak,' he completed in a light tone, the ghost of a smile lurking in the corners of his green eyes.

Maddie leaned against the door frame of his bathroom door. 'Guess they go hand in hand sometimes...'

He took a step nearer so that he was in close proximity with her; she didn't back away he noticed with delight. This was new.

'Yeah, guess they do...'

She took a deep breath. 'David...'

His eyes were twinkling. 'Maddie?'

'I fully understand what happened to you yesterday,' she firmly declared, 'but I'm still not convinced about that girl. Don't get me wrong, I understand what you did and why you did it. It's because you're a believer and I am not.'

_Uh-oh, not good, it was the old Hayes pessimism again._ He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. 'Maddie...'

'David,' she interrupted quickly but firmly, holding up her hands to stop him, palms turned towards him, 'I'm trying to see your point. And I'm willing to consider that, in this instance... you might be right about that girl.'

His eyes snapped open again, fixing her. 'You are?'

She nodded. 'I am.'

He cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows in a careful, questioning way. 'And that means...?'

'It means what I said. I'm willing to consider you might be right.'

'About the case,' he clarified, shaking his head in disbelief – it made a noise like the broken insides of a clock. _Roger Director was in the house again!_

'About the case,' she confirmed and smiled involuntarily when she saw the slight hint of disappointment in his breathtaking eyes. It warmed her heart. 'And,' she added quickly, 'I understand why you missed our... date yesterday.' She still had difficulty calling it a date, but that's what it had been supposed to be. She drew a deep breath, leaning into the door frame further, as if to stabilize her balance. 'So I think we should... try it again.'

His lips curled into a pleased, crooked smile that made her glad she was being supported by the door frame. 'I'm glad to hear that... no, cancel that. I'm _delighted_ to hear that.'

For some reason (which she couldn't put her finger on) she blushed. Before she could say anything, David asked: 'When?'

She looked at her watch with a deliberately laid-back expression. 'Well,' she shrugged. 'It's almost noon, so I'd say how about we work through lunch so we can leave early and go straight out on our date?'

He was beaming now. _We're back in the game._ 'That was a little unexpected,' he joked, and she rolled her eyes, but in an amused way. 'But I think I can squeeze it in.'

'I'm _so_ honored,' Maddie drawled with a definite ironic undertone.

David smirked. 'Pick you up at your desk?' he suggested.

* * *

7PM:

Maddie was staring intently at the menu, her mind completely blank for a panicky moment. Why was she so nervous? _Say something!_ She cleared her throat.

'I think maybe I'll have...'

'...a chilled Chardonnay for starters,' David interrupted, and her head shot up.

He was smiling his half-smile and shrugging: a boyish gesture. 'It's not like we've never been out for dinner,' he explained, and – what was _that?_ Was there the faintest hint of nervousness lurking in the corners of his eyes too? Maddie felt her lips curve into a genuine, somewhat relieved smile. This was unfamiliar ground for him too, and it touched her and reassured her at the same time. He was not the cool and casual guy that he wished to present. All of a sudden, she felt elated. They were in the same boat.

'That's true,' she replied brightly and frowned in a faux-serious manner. 'Let's see... I guess, for you it will be a beer then.' When his green eyes twinkled in pleasant surprise, she bent forward a little and added, in an almost conspiratorial way, 'The strong dark one.'

David raised one ironic eyebrow, and the green beam hit her with full force. 'I'm impressed,' he purred. 'Do you have more surprises in store?'

She lowered her gaze to the menu again, playfulness tugging at the corners of her mouth. 'Who knows...' she replied smoothly.

David smiled down at his menu, relieved and pleased that she was going with the light and sultry flow. Yes, this was definitely not one of their occasional, ordinary, official-business (after-work) dinners – this was without a doubt – a _date_. Now he just needed to remember to tie his laces, button his cuffs and show her a good time.

'I'm hungry,' he murmured, leaving it up to Maddie to interpret what exactly he was _hungry_ for; she didn't show any reaction, but he knew that she had heard him when he saw a slight pink flush spread slowly over her neck and her face.

Much to his delight, she moistened her lips before she sighed: 'Me too...'

* * *

8.30PM:

'David, have you ever been on time for anything?' Maddie smiled, taking another sip of her wine, and then leaning forward in anticipation of his answer.

'Well I could name one thing but they might interrupt us with a commercial break,' he quipped, 'but seriously? No,' he spoke through laughter and looked down at his plate in resignation.

'I appreciate the honesty; at least I'm going in to this thing with my eyes wide open.'

'Well, Maddie, whilst we're being honest – have you ever been late for something?'

Maddie looked serious for a moment as she thought long and hard. 'Nope.'

'What a pair – what are the chances that we could ever stand still in one spot, at the same time and in the same place?' he asked wistfully.

'Kismet?' Maddie replied, 'something, or someone decided to give us a break today.'

They both reached for the bottle of wine at the same time, hands brushing together for an instant. Maddie suddenly looked terribly solemn.

'Hey waiter,' David mock called, 'someone appears to have stolen my partner's happy mood- can we have another?'

'Sorry,' she apologised and accepted the top-up that David offered to replenish her glass. 'I was just thinking...'

'Uh-oh,' David muttered, half to himself, 'nasty habit, how about you quit cold turkey?'

She took another sip of wine. 'David,' she began.

'Yeeeeees?'

'I was just thinking about what a leap of faith this is,' she blurted out, 'I mean, you and me? You're not exactly my type; we work together; we're so different; we don't agree on anything...'

'Aint it great?' David dared, presenting her with one of his side-ways grins that could melt an ice-berg at the North Pole.

'Well,' Maddie paused... and then grinned back. 'Surprisingly, it _is_ pretty great.'

* * *

10PM:

'Oh my God!' David suddenly yelped, making Maddie jump and spill some wine into her dessert.

'What?!'

'I just realised,' he cried, staring at his watch in a dramatic fashion, 'it's past your bedtime.'

She playfully swiped him on the arm, letting her hand stay there. Tentatively, he took it in his and held it, enjoying how her elegant one felt in his larger, stronger one, and then he glanced up to find himself looking directly into her eyes. 'Do you think that it would be okay if we break your curfew a little bit more, I'm kind of enjoying myself?' He was using that voice.

'Well, considering I'm breaking all of my rules tonight, what the hey.'

* * *

11PM:

They were walking up Maddie's driveway in mutual silence, both deeply lost in thought.

David was re-playing their dinner in his mind, and he thought it had gone better than he ever would have dared to dream. Their conversation had flown easily; it had been light and flirty, and there had been no uncomfortable silence. Maddie had gone with the flow, had seemed at ease with herself and with the fact that they were actually, finally having a date – even if it was just an after-work-date-ette. It was a start, and she didn't seem to want to take it extremely slow. They had consented in taking this step ahead, and obviously, she wasn't planning to take one step back, letalone two. It had been a promising start. Although, he had to admit, on the car ride to her house she had been a little silent, and he had already wondered why. But he wasn't worrying; probably she was re-playing the evening in her mind, too.

Maddie was nervous.

She was re-playing their dinner in her mind too, and she had really had a good time. David had flirted as usual, he had even been suggestive, but he hadn't been crude, and she had been comfortable with it. After all, this had been a date, and they both knew the decision had already been made in Chicago: they would give this thing – whatever it was or would be – a try. So, she had flirted back without backpedaling, and she had enjoyed it.

She had enjoyed it as long as they had been sitting in the relative safety of the cozy Italian restaurant David had chosen. As soon as they had climbed the car and David had started the engine and hit the road towards her place, she had fallen silent, and two words kept flashing up in her brain, like neon signs that announced danger. What now? She had no idea where they were heading now, right now, this night, this moment. Did David expect her to ask him in? Did she want to ask him in? Yes – no. Maybe? She wasn't sure. And if she asked him in – would he expect she let him stay? Would he expect to get to the good stuff, as he would probably say, already today? Wouldn't that be way too early? Did that matter? They weren't anything like the usual couple next door anyway. Did she want to go further today? Was she ready? She had been ready in Chicago – no, maybe not ready, but willing, definitely willing. Somehow, Maddie felt that it was not the right moment yet, but she didn't trust herself around him anymore; after Chicago, things had fundamentally changed. She knew he had power over her, and she was afraid he knew that, too. Would he try to take advantage of her? She hoped not. Or did she hope he would? Damn!

Then the moment had come, and she had no choice but to unlock her door and open it.

Maddie's fingers were nervously playing with the keys. 'So...' she began a little breathlessly.

David gave her the lopsided ghost of a smile that made her knees tremble. 'So...'

She swallowed the lump in her throat. 'How did we do for a first time?'

'Like I said before, it's not exactly our first time in a restaurant. And we have both been out of high-chairs for a good while now...'

'No, of course not,' Maddie said quickly, and the keys in her fingers clinked. 'I meant, the first time as a... a _date_.' she reddened, and David who found this adorable, bit his lip from preventing his grin to broaden any further; it wasn't the right moment.

'Ah, _that_...' he drawled in a low voice, 'that, date.'

'Yes.' She didn't know where to look. She hadn't found out yet what it was about that particular nuance in his voice that made a shiver run down her spine whilst simultaneously spreading heat deep down inside her. She didn't know how he did it, but she had an idea that she wasn't far from finding out what else he could do with it. The thought made her feel anxious and... Yes, it excited her. And it made her blush again.

'Well, I think for a first... _date_,' – he stretched and emphasized the word – 'it went pretty well.'

She looked into his eyes now and smiled a little shyly. 'Me too; I had a good time, David.'

His eyes fixed on hers. 'Well, I'm happy to hear that.'

Becoming nervous again, she felt a hot knot form in her stomach; but absurdly enough, this was not a completely unpleasant feeling. 'I was always sure you knew how to show a girl a good time.' Her eyes widened and she almost gasped when she realized what she had just said, and she felt a hot traitorous crimson spread in a fiery trail over her neck and face. David, oddly enough, did not smirk. 'Oh... um...' she stuttered, 'what I meant was...'

'I know what you meant, Blondie,' David interrupted in his softest voice, not taking advantage of a glorious occasion to make a slick remark and embarrass her. Instead, with his gaze, he was trying to soothe her. He raised his left hand to her face and brushed an errant strand of hair away; he gently tucked it behind her ear.

Maddie froze in time at that touch and when he put his fingertips to her hot flaming cheek, barely touching it, she automatically, involuntarily, _inevitably_, was drawn by an invisible magnet. She leaned forward a little with slightly parted lips, her face following his hand, her skin glued to his fingertips, anxious not to lose the irresistible contact. She knew he was going to kiss her. In a hot flashback, she remembered how that had felt (the previous weekend, in that hotel room in Chicago) when they had kissed until the room was spinning around them; when David had run his mouth across her throat and when his hand had travelled up and down her bare spine -exposed because of her low-cut dress, until her legs had lost the ability to keep her upright and she had been held steady only by his strong embrace. God, how she wanted to melt into this moment again...

Their stares locked and she was amazed by the genuine and serious emotions she detected in those dizzying green depths, beyond all that carefree playfulness and mockery that was so essentially David – the David who would probably never cease to drive her mad, but whom, absurdly enough, she knew she'd miss like crazy, should he ever decide to tame that wild side. With him, right here and now, she felt hazardous and harbored at the same time. Anchor. Kite.

David, on the other hand, was amazed by how easily and naturally Maddie was following his touch, although he wasn't even pulling her, the only physical contact between them was the delicate, creamy skin of her cheek against the rough tips of his long fingers. Touching Maddie was like touching a high voltage wire, his fingers attracted by strong electricity, he wouldn't be able to break the contact, even if he wanted to. Of course, he had no desire to do that; there were spots on her body where he felt her skin vibrating in response to him, and for one moment he allowed his thoughts to drift onwards to other exotic locations on her body where he wanted his fingers to stray, and he caught himself wondering how the silky skin of her inner thigh would feel, how it would be to let his fingers lazily wander upwards...

He blinked to get back to reality and scrutinized the dreamy expression on Maddie's face; in her eyes he saw a deep longing and an affection that drove him weak and wild at the same time. He had to muster all of his willpower and strength not to shove her inside the house, pin her against the next wall and give her what he knew she wanted.

Beyond all of that raw emotion, he saw a deep belief in her wonderful eyes; she trusted him that he wouldn't gamble with her feelings and jeopardize what was blooming between them, and because he knew her well by now, he realized what a huge step forward that was for her. Therefore, that faith in her eyes touched and moved him even more than anything.

David's hand on Maddie's face had moved so close to his own that their noses were almost touching, their eyes never losing contact. He moved his left thumb from her cheek to stroke along her lower lip, and she made a small and vulnerable noise. Both were hypnotized, until a simultaneous closing of their eyes bridged that last inch separating their lips. They kissed in soft, slow motion. Their bodies still separate; except for their mouths. An electrifying sensation that was only broken by Maddie, who couldn't stand the physical distance any longer, she pressed the sensual weight of her body against his, needing to get as close to him as possible. As if her move had been a signal to him, his left hand slid from her cheek to the back of her head, entangling his fingers within her hair, his right arm tightly surrounding her, pulling her still closer into him.

Their kiss intensified, and along with her dizziness, Maddie wondered what she had been so nervous about before, when she had been contemplating whether David expected her to ask him in or not... everything seemed so easy and natural _now_, and the only thing she knew was that she wanted him, _badly_, wanted him for good, wanted him inside her house, inside her bed – hell, inside _her_. She felt the irrepressible urge to lay her hands on him, and she put both palms on his chest, sliding them under his jacket, feeling the feverish heat of his body through the cool fabric of his shirt. It felt wonderful. She deeply inhaled the mixture of her perfume and his sexy, personal scent -intoxicating.

The keys she had been holding fell to the floor with a loud clatter. They didn't jump in shock but slowly, reluctantly pulled apart. Maddie's face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily, both were. David smiled and softly ran his left index finger over her lips and then loosened his embrace. She drew a deep breath, knowing that what they both desired wouldn't happen tonight. She felt a wave of disappointment wash over her, mixed with relief and, like in that hotel room back in Chicago, a deep affection for David. He still didn't want to rush her (although she wouldn't have minded to be rushed – _crushed_ – right now); obviously, he really cared for her. She heard his voice in her head: _I've been waiting for a long time to make love to you, Maddie, but when that happens, I want it to be just... perfect._ She felt her chest tighten and smiled back.

'Well...' she managed, still a little breathlessly.

'Well,' he replied hoarsely and finally let go of her, bending down to pick up her keys from the floor.

As he held the keys up for her to take and she reached forwards, he took both her hands in his and placed a kiss on each palm, and she could feel that kiss as a tingling sensation _everywhere; she _couldn't help imagining, craving to feel him kiss her _everywhere_. Then he handed her the keys and took a step back, drinking in the sight of her adorable face. David had never intended to cross the final frontier (Maddie's bedroom) on that first evening – although he was aching for her, desiring her with an almost unbearable intensity, he wanted to make everything just _right_. He knew it would be all the more spectacular in the end.

He winked at her which made her knees feel like jell-o. 'Good night, Blondie,' he purred.

'I'll see you tomorrow,' she whispered tonelessly, with a glow on her face.

David touched two fingers to his lips and whispered back: 'I'll see you tonight in my dreams.'

Then he turned around and walked into the darkness as if he were some film noir romantic hero.

Maddie almost stumbled as she took the two steps back into her house and closed the door. Leaning her feverish front against the glass of the door, she closed her eyes. She could hear her blood rushing to her ears and felt the vein at her throat throb madly, while in her mouth she could still taste David's irresistible kisses. Her lips burned with the memory.

After her breathing and heartbeat had calmed, Maddie felt weak and exhausted, and she was afraid if she didn't lie down and rest _right now_, her legs wouldn't be able to sustain her any longer. Also, she urgently needed to rid herself of her clothes. She had the feeling they were constraining her, suffocating her, and causing her to sweat. She blamed it on the warm air, the humidity outside, all the same knowing perfectly well that was just a lame excuse. She stepped out of her pumps and dropped her purse where she stood; leaving them forgotten on the floor.

Barefoot, she hurried up the spiral staircase and into her bedroom – she had already begun to undress.

She almost ripped off her remaining clothes as she entered her bathroom, also leaving them in a discarded pile on the floor as she treated herself to a long, cool shower. She giggled to herself as she thought of the trail of clothes that she had left behind her – anyone would think that there was more than one person up here. But no,_ tonight_ it was just her.

Later, when she lay down in her bed feeling fresh from the shower, she pressed her cheek onto the cool pillow. She noticed, with frustration, that her mind kept – inevitably – wandering back to the evening with David, to their _date_ and the scene at her front door; although her heartbeat and her breathing were normal, her blood continued to boil. The memory caused her body to burn in devouring fire. It hadn't been the clothes, after all, nor the heat and humidity of the sultry night. This heat was already inside her, and kissing David (mingled with the memory of the previous weekend and the anticipation of what was going to happen soon – _very_ soon, hopefully) had fanned the flames. Maddie blew her cheeks in a helpless way. Somehow she felt trapped, yet scared to death by her own courage, afraid that this glimpsed passion would consume her, burn her up, melt her control.

Never before in her life had she experienced anything like this hybrid-feeling of power and defencelessness. She knew that, on a physical level, David was drawn to her the same way she was drawn to him, and she was quite sure that he really cared about her – he had just proven it again (although the fact that he had also left her _again_ after such a scenario, hadn't exactly put her in a comfortable state). He hadn't done much tonight to seduce her – he hadn't grabbed and kissed her like he had done in Chicago (and a part of her regretted it), and he certainly hadn't laid a finger on her secret bare skin, like he had done in Chicago (and she regretted _that_ even more). She knew that tonight, again, she had been putty in his hands. She knew that, again, he could easily have taken advantage of her. Oh hell, deep down she knew that he could have done that even without touching her – _let's face it, if he had really wanted to, he could have simply purred your panties off._

Maddie tossed around in her bed, a wave of shame washing over her, mixed with an even stronger wave of longing, an almost physical ache born from unconscious passion. She had already learned what that could drive her to. Involuntarily, her mind drifted back again to that hotel room in Chicago, back to the long and sleepless night that had followed that amazing passionate encounter which had ended so abruptly. She still couldn't believe what had happened, what she had _done_ that night after David had closed that adjoining door between their two hotel rooms. At first she did not realise that her hands had started to mirror David's actions, slowly and lavishly over her own body; caressing as he had. She had been shocked at first, but it had felt way too good to stop. And that had shocked her even more.

And, when she had gotten back home that night, what had been intended as a relaxing hot bubble bath to wash away the strains of travel, had turned out to be... well... relaxing _and_ hot in a very _different_ way. And this time there hadn't been any pent-up passion, any interrupted kissing necessary – just the thought of David had been enough to fuel her fantasy and guide her hands.

Maddie was shocked and appalled but also enthralled by that whirlwind of emotions and physical reaction that caused her to lose control – and it shook her.

* * *

David awoke with a start; the incessant bleating of his alarm clock (that informed him it was time to shake his tail feathers over to Blue Moon and find out what kind of mood Maddie Hayes would be in) rousing him before he had had enough sleep as usual. He hit the snooze button and fell back on too his pillows for five more precious minutes. Next time it went off, he'd make the strongest pot of coffee known to man.

Had she had the same experience of the date as him? He thought it had gone well, really well and he'd even relaxed enough to enjoy himself, the banter had flowed but there had been an edge that was not usually present at their shared dinner experiences (usually after a successful case had been put to bed). He couldn't put his finger on what defined it. He guessed it was more like an undercurrent that passed through every joke, every comment, every aside that buzzed with a tension. Of course he knew what it was; it was the chemistry between them that usually resided just below the surface of their to and fro, being pushed back every time it inched forward, it had been allowed free reign that night to wander at will. It was a wonderful thing, a dangerous thing. Unleashed, it had led to that kiss at the door that promised more. But, would she want more? Maybe she had gone home, thought about it over and over until she had realised that there should never be a 'them'.

The snooze alarm put paid to any other recalcitrant thoughts of David's. He would make that coffee and, fully armed, go face the fire.

* * *

Maddie, as always, woke up smiling and serene as her alarm gently awakened her. (She loved mornings). Feeling rested and ready for the day ahead, she automatically pushed her feet out of the bed, poised and ready to carefully place them into silk slippers... until she remembered that she did not put them there last night, in fact she had not carried out any of her usual nightly duties to ease the passage of the morning. No, instead she remembered that she would be greeting by a trail of discarded clothing like the trail of her thoughts. Oh dear.

Each garment told a different story about the night before. She took her time as she picked each one up and another piece of the evening slotted into place. By the time she reached the bottom step, she had full memories of the night before. And that's when her doubts crept in...

What if he'd gone because he didn't want her as much as he'd thought?

She needed a coffee and then she would drive to the office and face him head on, look into those eyes and know for sure whether his heart was saying yes.

_Don't worry baby, it ain't nothin' new_

_That's just love sneakin' up on you_

_If you whole world's shakin' and you feel like I do_

_That's just love sneakin' up on you_

_Nowhere on earth for your heart to hide_

_Once love comes sneakin' up on your blind side_

_And you might as well try to stop the rain_

_Or stand in the tracks of a runaway train_

_You just can't fight it when a thing's meant to be_

_So come on let's finish what you started with me_

**To be continued...**


End file.
